In a social forum where you do not see your client, how do you keep the focus on them and still self promote? The answer lies in content. Being strategic about how you post your content will allow you to humanize yourself and stay relevant in a social forum while increasing your following and promoting your brand. One of the top three reasons that people follow brands is because they have ‘interesting content.’ The good news is that many popular methods do not suggest that you create all your own content, but share appropriate content from other sources along with your own.
Here just are a few methods to get you thinking about your strategy.
The 5-3-2 Ratio
This ratio was first presented by TA McCann from Gist.com. He suggests that out of every 10 updates that you post over any given time frame,
- 5 should be content from others that is relevant to your audience,
- 3 should be content from you that does not directly sell your products, and
- 2 should be personal non work related posts.
The 555+ Rule
Shai Coggings from Vervely posed a concept similar to the 5-3-2 rule, with a few differences. While 5 is not the magic number in this equation, the idea is to keep an even balance and not seem like you are preaching, rehashing, or appearing cliquish:
- 5 things about you and/or original content
- 5 things about others which can be a ReTweet, Re-post, or a link pointing to resources outside your organization
- 5 responses/replies to show engagement
- + is all other ways to add value like using #FollowFriday (#FF) and Paper.li posts on Twitter
The Golden Ratio
In 2014, Rallyverse.com put forth their formula for social marketing. They propose the following to keep the right mix of informing, entertaining, and selling in your content:
- 30% Owned content such as your blogs, photos, videos, and slides
- 60% Relevant, curated content that includes your point of view and commentary
- 10% Promotional content or your call to action.
Keep these three rules and ratios in mind as you move forward with your social media marketing strategy! As always, if you need assistance with managing a social media strategy or incorporating any of these tips, please contact Informatics.
